ICE Breakers by

“By 2015-2020 every South Korean and many European households will have a robot.”

(Ministry of Information and Communication South Korea, 2007)

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Actroid-SIT, a lifelike robot from Japanese firm Kokoro, can function autonomously, talk and gesture while interacting with people. Actroid-SIT features a ‘motion parameterization’ system that allows her to adapt to the location of the speaker, hence, making the person feel like the robot is really paying at-tention.

Actroid-SIT - A lifelike Robot

Jens Newmann became the first person to get an artificial vision system. He received an implant of researcher William Dobelle’s second generation brain-computer interface (BCI). His electronic eye con-nects directly to his visual cortex through brain implants. His vision has now been technically restored.

Jens Newmann - Man with artificial vision system

IMPACT ON UX• Humanness' of interactions will become stronger

• Advent of a human-machine civilization where users' experiences will shift from real reality to virtual reality.

• Users will include humanoid robots in their lives for assistance and companionship.

• Augmentation of human faculties with technology will allow users to break free from human limitations.

• Ubiquitous ecologies will emerge, where old & new media and physical & digital environ ments will be designed, delivered, and experienced as a seamless whole.

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Another aspect of Robonity is Transhumanism - the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations by

means of science and technology. Transumanist technologies like Cryonics, Mind Uploading, and Neuro-hacking are working towards transforming

human beings into superhumans.

The industrial era of robotics is over. Robots are becoming hu-manized. They have started to move around in the world imitating and looking like humans. They were already performing tasks like

humans do, but now some of them even show human-like emotions. At this pace ‘Robonity’ might soon replace humanity on this earth.

ROBONITYHumanized Robots &

Robotic Humans

“Let's not kid ourselves here. Robots already run most of our world. We'll be their butlers soon enough.” (Eric Stoltz)